George is a sign of hope in Clippers’ winless preseason
His assertive play leads to 16 points. NBA looking into Leonard’s recruitment.
Driving into the paint Thursday night inside Staples Center, Clippers forward Paul George gathered his dribble in both hands and barreled into his defender, hoping to draw a foul.
That he did something similar multiple times during a 125- 105 loss to Utah in the Clippers’ preseason finale is one indication George’s shoulders indeed feel as good as he has said during training camp, now nearly 18 months after both were repaired in surgery.
Such drives helped George earn nine free- throw attempts — nine more than any of the team’s other starters — against the Jazz en route to a team- high 16 points.
The Clippers must hope his aggression will translate to the regular season, as well, after George attempted just 4.5 free throws per game last season, a considerable dip from the 7.0 he averaged in 2018- 19 with Oklahoma City while earning votes for NBA most valuable player. That campaign led to surgery on each shoulder, however, and George has said in recent weeks that he never felt completely comfortable with his shoulders last season but has gained confidence after being healthy enough to train during the recent offseason.
Kawhi Leonard and Luke Kennard each added 13 points for the Clippers, who f inished 0- 3 in the preseason.
The Clippers played without forward Marcus Morris ( right knee soreness) for a third consecutive game and center Serge Ibaka ( sore lower back) and forward Patrick Patterson ( hyperextension of the right elbow) also did not play.
Bojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson each had 20 points to lead Utah.
The preseason f inale tipped off hours after the NBA opened an investigation into the team’s 2019 freeagency recruitment of Leonard.
The inquiry came days after a lawsuit f iled against the team and team consultant Jerry West alleged the Hall of Fame player and longtime executive promised, but did not pay, a friend of Leonard’s uncle $ 2.5 million in exchange for helping sign Leonard, a person with knowledge of the investigation confirmed Thursday.
In a statement to TMZ, which first reported the lawsuit filed by Johnny Wilkes, a representative for West denied “any improper conduct” in connection with the signing.
In a statement, the Clippers called the allegations baseless and said the complaint was “replete with inaccuracies.”
“The Clippers are fully cooperating with the NBA in its investigation, which is standard when these types of allegations are made,” the team said. “They are providing the NBA with evidence that the allegations are false.”
According to the lawsuit, during a June 2019 phone conversation West asked for Wilkes’ assistance. The suit describes Wilkes as “the best friend to Kawhi Leonard’s uncle, Dennis Robertson.”
Asked how well he knew Wilkes and whether he played a role in his decision to join the Clippers, Leonard said “not at all.”
“That has nothing to do with me swaying my mind to go somewhere,” he said. “I’m from L. A. and I grew up here my whole life and out here people try to find any way to get some money, so he probably won’t be the last. I know a lot of people out here.”
The assistance Wilkes allegedly provided was relaying to West that the team should include four specific pieces of information in its free- agency pitch to Leonard: that Leonard would have a “great life as a Clipper”; that the team’s roster “possessed a great deal of upside and would be around for years to come”; that the team would “do whatever it takes to compete with the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James”; and that it would acquire a second star to pair with Leonard, specifically Paul George.
“This information was vital because it was the exact information that Kawhi Leonard wanted to hear at the time in order to effectuate his signing with the Clippers,” the suit said.